


There'll Be A Next Time

by theheartbelieves



Category: Where the Truth Lies (2005)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Fix-It, Internalized Homophobia, Lanny is gonna beg for it, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Phone Sex, Reconciliation, Reconciliation Sex, Vince is still a goddamn saint, Vinny - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 06:46:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14326875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theheartbelieves/pseuds/theheartbelieves
Summary: Post murder investigation, Lanny hadn't seen or spoken to Vince in months. The hole Vince's absence had left in his life has lead him to some realisations. One phone call could change everything.





	There'll Be A Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> YES. Another Vinny fic. I can't escape them.
> 
> Tried writing in past tense for the first time in a long time and whew, that was strange.
> 
> Unbeta-ed, as usual.
> 
> Title is derived from the movie's OST track "There'll Be No Next Time" (where Kevin and Colin SING TOGETHER).

Life without Vince was unbearable. Ten years with the man constantly by his side left him poorly prepared for life alone. He missed the shows, he missed the women, he missed the booze and drugs, but most of all he missed Vince. Lanny didn’t know what to do with himself. None of the things that used to bring him comfort worked anymore when he didn’t have Vince by his side.

The one time he got high after being ruled out as a suspect in Maureen’s death, he was filled with such anxiety that he had to curl up on the floor of his bathroom until he was finally able to sleep - a sleep that was plagued by slippery, amorphous images of Vince.

 _He’ll call_ , Vince told himself. _One day soon, he’ll show up and everything will be as it was. We won’t even have to talk about it._

But days passed. Weeks passed. Lanny rattled around his empty Los Angeles home. The place was spotless and everything was organised; anything to fill his restless hours. It’d been one month, two weeks, three days, and a handful of hours before Lanny broke.

He was cooking lunch - grilled cheese and tomato soup - when he remembered the last time he’d made this meal for Vince. It wasn’t even a special memory. Just Vince standing near him, hip propped against the counter edge. They’d both laughed so much that night.

Lanny shook as he remembered. His grief hit him like a physical blow and he had to lean over the counter. He took several deep breaths and was forced to admit to himself that he’d ruined everything.

The soup went down the sink; the sandwich into the trash; Lanny went off to bed.

He dreamed of Vince: of his voice and his anger, of his fierce loyalty. He dreamed of the feeling of Vince’s chest against his back and the need that had twisted in his gut so strongly that it frightened him.

When he woke, it was dark. Lanny was filled with a self-loathing so intense that he couldn’t move from his bed. He needed Vince. He needed him.

He rolled over and grabbed the bakelite phone from his bedside table. He dialed Vince’s number, praying the man was home, praying that he’d not hang up on him.

“Hello?”

Lanny wanted to cry and laugh at the sound of Vince’s voice.

"Please don't hang up," Lanny said in lieu of greeting.

There was a long silence in which Lanny died a thousand tiny deaths. What would he do if Vince hung up?

"Lawrence. What do you want?" Vince’s voice was clipped and cold, but he didn’t hang up.

"To... Talk." Lanny rolled onto his side and curled around the shiny black base of the phone.

"I think we're past that point," Vince sighed.

Lanny’s stomach plummeted. Every time he thought he couldn’t feel any worse, Vince proved him wrong. But Vince was still on the line, still breathing into Lanny’s ear.

"Are we? Are we that broken?" Lanny whispered.

"Are we not? This is the first I've heard from you in months."

A thread of anger unspooled inside Lanny. "I'm the one who called you."

Lanny could hear Vince move, then exhale as he sat down. More silence. Lanny knew what he’d said wasn’t fair. He’d been the one to open the rift - hell, he’d opened it long ago. Had he not kept Vince at arm’s length, nothing could have come between them. Six months ago, he’d have said that nothing could have broken them.

How blind he’d been to his own complicity.

He expected Vince to bite back but he just sounded tired when he finally spoke. "You're right. I... I wasn't sure you'd want to hear from me."

"Vin..." Lanny's chest ached with everything left unsaid during their decade together, with guilt, with longing.

"No. Don't deny it. You... You were so disgusted with me the last time we were honest with each other."

Lanny could hear the anguish in Vince's voice. He hated how much he’d hurt his friend. Vince had no idea why he’d been pushed away and Lanny wasn’t sure he could put it into words. He could barely admit it to himself.

"No, Vince. I was... Ashamed. I'm so fucking ashamed."

Vince's breath caught on the other end of the line. "About... What?"

“God, everything…” he sighed.

Lanny rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Even though the room was dark, the words were hard to get out. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say. How could he express the feeling that had taken up residence inside his heart since the last time he’d seen Vince. They hadn’t even said goodbye.

It was a gnawing, empty, insatiable hole inside his chest.

“I- I’m not sure how to… live without you, Vince,” Lanny muttered. “I’m at a complete loss.”

Vince uttered a bitter bark of a laugh. “How is this my problem?”

Lanny tried not to let frustration turn to anger. “What do you want? Do you want me to leave you alone?”

“Fuck, Lanny… I’m trying to move on. Why do you do these things? You push me away. You pull me close. Then you punish me. You punish me all the time. You want to know what I want? I want our life back.” Lanny can hear the strangled emotions in Vince’s voice. “You know what I want. I’ve made it perfectly clear.”

“You want me,” Lanny said softly. He’d known this for a long time. He’d denied this for a long time.

“Yes,” Vince answered simply.

Lanny took a deep breath and let it out. It shook on the exhale. He didn’t want to say it. It felt like exposing the most vulnerable part of himself, but he made himself do it. For Vince.

"I want you too."

Lanny felt flayed open, his heart an open wound. He wondered if this is how Vince felt around him all the time and he wanted to cry. He covered his eyes with his free hand. Hiding didn’t help.

"Christ, Lanny. Why should I believe you? Why now? Is it just because you miss me? Are you trying to assuage your guilt?" The familiar Vince anger was rising in his voice and Lanny couldn’t help but smile.

He’d take Vince’s anger over not having anything of Vince. He didn’t have answers for the man.

"There’s nothing I can say to make you believe me, but I do miss you," Lanny said, and then added breathlessly. “I love you and I’m sorry, but I love you.”

Vince sucked in a breath and whispered in a brittle voice. "You better not be fucking with me, Lanny..."

"Never again," Lanny promised. "Can we talk? I'm not asking for... I'm just... Please."

"What do you want to talk about?" Vince had gotten his voice under control. He sounded cold and distant. Probably for the best.

He knew he should steer the conversation back to lighter, safer territory, but the truth had been uttered and it was just lying there. Lanny couldn’t help but push. He thought about the dreams that had been plaguing him: the memory of Vince and his skin; the feel of his hot breath on his neck. He need to know.

Lanny screwed his eyes shut and blurted it out.

"What would you have done to me? If we'd been alone? If I hadn't been..."

"A coward?" Vince offered sharply.

"Terrified," Lanny breathed, his voice shaking. "Yes."

Both were true. Lanny was a coward, through and through, but he was trying, even though he was still scared by what Vince made him feel.

For a long time all he could hear was Vince's heavy breathing. God help him, but it was almost as if Vince was there with him in the dark. Lanny placed his free hand over his heart. It was racing. He was breathing just hard as Vince.

"Do you really want to know?" Vince said, voice husky and low.

Lanny knew that tone. Vince was aroused. Lanny almost moaned at that realisation. He’d done that. Vince was turned on by him. And he- Lanny slid his hand down over his stomach. He was hard.

"Tell me," he replied, trying to let his own state show in his tone.

"Lanny..." Vince warned. The man still didn’t trust this.

"Tell me," Lanny demanded. “Please.”

Vince swallowed audibly, then tripped over his words. "I would have rather have been sober... Your first time- our first-"

"Together," Lanny whispered. They’d been in so many sexual situations together over the years but that- that would have been different. Just the two of them.

"Oh God," Vince said, voice distant, as if he’d pulled the phone away from his mouth.

"Vin?" Lanny said, suddenly uncertain. Had he lost him? Had he pushed too hard?

"I'm here. I'm here." Vince’s voice was clear again. "I can't believe..."

"Are you sober now?" Lanny asked.

"Since the investigation."

"Me too. I can't enjoy it. Can't control my thoughts..." Lanny trailed off, and then reminded himself in for a penny, in for a pound. "Even sober, I can't stop thinking about you."

He felt vulnerable and exposed, but Vince chuckled. It sounded more than a little bitter. "Welcome to the last decade of my life."

"Me?" Lanny almost choked on the question. He’d known Vince wanted him but-

"Always you, Lanny." His name sounded like a prayer on Vince's lips. “Do you really have no idea how long I’ve wanted you?”

Lanny wanted to apologise but knew it was too late. He wanted to tell Vince he loved him again. He wanted to beg for him to come over, to fuck him however Vince wanted. But it was too early for that and far too late. They were stuck in a limbo Lanny had no idea how to navigate.

"Sober," he said instead. "Sober and we’re alone and you're behind me, Vince. Your arms are around me."

"Fuck, Lanny... You know what I wanted..." Vince pleaded in that way that begged for more.

"I have an idea. But how would you do it?" His voice broke when he said you.

Vince’s breaths had turned shallow in his ear. He could even hear him swallow before answering.

"Face to face. But first, you on your back. My mouth on your cock. My fingers inside you. I'd make it- I'd make it so sweet for you, Lanny. You'd beg me to fuck you."

Lanny gasped at the image. He closed his eyes and could see Vince between his legs, thighs over his shoulders, a wicked grin on his beautiful face. Lanny palmed himself through his slacks. He didn’t know if he could refrain from touching himself much longer.

"Lanny?" Vince's voice wavered, so much fear and uncertainty contained in his name.

"Keep going. Touch yourself and tell me," he moaned, fingers fumbling with the button on his pants.

"Way ahead of you," Vince admitted, panting.

Lanny couldn’t help but think of Vince sitting back on his couch, phone held against his shoulder, hand stroking himself. Lanny moaned again and finally managed to free his cock.

"It scares me... I've never..." Lanny stuttered.

"Oh, Lawrence, you have no idea. You just wait-" Vince abruptly cut himself off. The months of separation and distance and estrangement hung heavy on the line between them.

"I want that. I want you to fuck me. Make me moan your name, Vin." He knew it would take so little for Vince to completely rule him. Now that he’d given name to the feelings that had confused him for years, he was helpless.

"Jesus..." There was rhythmic rustling on Vince's end.

Lanny stroked himself and thought about Vince between his legs, buried inside him. His mind stuttered over that last part, unsure of what it would- will- feel like. Lanny let his hand stray back, fingers circling and pressing curiously at his hole. He remembered how it had felt when Vince’s cock had been there, hard and insistent. He huffed out a breath.

"I've never even touched myself here," he rasped, shivering at the electric sparks that shot up his spine at his light touch. “I want it to be you.”

"I want to do everything to you," Vince babbled in his beautiful English accent. "Fingers and mouth and tongue. I want to taste you and fuck you. I want you to fuck me. I want you to fuck me until I'm yours. God, Lan- Lanny, I'm already..."

Vince was gasping now and Lanny gripped his cock again. He was so fucking close just from the sound of Vince’s voice in his ear. It was so intimate.

"Are you mine, Vin?" Lanny growled, stroking himself desperately.

"Fuck! Yes..." Vince shouted. Lanny could hear him come, breath catching in that familiar way. For years he’d been hearing the sounds Vince made during sex. How had he never noticed how irresistible they were?

Lanny twisted his wrist. A few more strokes and-

"Mine." He came hard, heels digging into the mattress.

They breathed together in the aftermath, miles apart, for a long time after. With his eyes closed, Vince might as well be laying in bed next to him. Lanny felt relaxed and happy in a way he hadn’t felt in years.

"Do you regret it?" Vince finally asked softly. He sounded so prepared to be rejected that Lanny wanted to cry or rage at himself for doing this to Vince.

Lanny cleared his throat. "Only that we didn't do this sooner. And Vin?"

“Yeah?”

“We need to do that again. Soon. In person,” Lanny said with far more certainty than he felt.

"Will we?" The hope in Vince's tone was delicate.

Every fibre of Lanny’s being wanted to feed that hope, to feed it tinder until it burned hot and bright. He knew exactly the passion Vince was capable of. He wanted to be the focus of that passion. He wanted to be consumed by it.

"Oh yeah, you're going to fuck me just like you described,” Lanny said low, then took a chance. “Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow..." Vince sighed. The disappointment was a surprise.

"Unless... You want to come over tonight? Share my bed." The thought of Vince sleeping next to him was so sudden and overwhelming that he could barely speak. "Don't change. Don't do anything. Just get in the car and let yourself in. Vince… God, Vince. I need you next to me."

Vince didn’t say anything for the longest time and Lanny suddenly realised that he could still be rejected.

"Lanny?" Lanny hummed in acknowledgement, too relaxed to properly talk. "I love you too, just so you know."

"Hurry." Lanny’s heart could barely contain the enormity of what he felt.

"I'll be right over."

They hung up, neither saying goodbye, and Lanny stared at the ceiling in disbelief. He'd woke up this morning miserable, like he'd been every day since- but now. Vince was on his way over. Vince loved him.

"Vince loves me," he said aloud in the dark. He laughed, then sat up. “I- I love Vince. I’m in love with him.”

His heart stuttered from just saying the words aloud.

He looked down. He was a mess. There was come all over his hand and shirt. He quickly stripped them off, along with his slacks, and threw them vaguely in the direction of the closet. He got back into bed completely naked and nearly vibrated with anticipation, ear tuned to the sound of a car pulling up or Vince's key in the front door.

He was woken by the mattress shifting. Vince slid into bed with him - a naked Vince - and pressed himself up against Lanny.

Still bleary from sleep, Lanny pulled Vince to him. It was like they’d been doing this for years. Their mouths found each other in the dark, their first kiss brief and chaste and full of promise. Vince's skin was cool against Lanny’s sleep-warm limbs and he shivered - half from the temperature and half from Vince rubbing his body again him.

"Am I dreaming?" Lanny asked, voice thick.

"Well, that's the best compliment I've ever gotten," Vince replied, his voice rumbling against Lanny's chest. It was real. Vince was real. Real and here and solid against Lanny.

"God, it's you. You're here." Lanny ran his hand down Vince's back and kissed him again.

Vince cupped his face and kissed him back, gently like he was precious. The man was already hard against his hip. Vince rolled on top of him.

"Lanny, I don't want to wait for tomorrow," he begged, sliding down Lanny's body, disappearing underneath the covers.

"I don't ever want to wait with you. We’ve waited too long already," Lanny sighed as Vince took him into his mouth, licking and sucking.

It was just as Vince promised: mouth and fingers and so very sweet that Lanny nearly sobbed from the tenderness. He did beg though, legs shaking and voice raw, and only then did Vince fuck him, face to face, kissing him as he did.

Afterwards, Vince fell asleep in Lanny's arms, head on Lanny’s shoulder. Lanny touched Vince’s messy curls and whispered how much he loved him. And in some ways, that was even better than the sex.

**Author's Note:**

> For my girl, Chiara, who keeps encouraging my love affair with these two men. I'm determined to fix them and it's all her fault.


End file.
